


Time is Moving Slow

by timeismovingslow



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-16 12:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8102788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeismovingslow/pseuds/timeismovingslow
Summary: He found it so easy to work with her, the two of them falling into a banter that would rival even the longest friendships. She balanced him out just as he made sure nothing was too over the top. 
He was technical, she was artistic. 
(Part of him wondered why they'd never worked with one another before.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter title comes from Ingrid Michaelson's "Sort Of"

"Are you sure you've got everything? Skate guards, mittens, helmet--"  
  
"Yes daddy, I'm all ready I promise."  
  
Scott Moir stared at his daughter, trying his very best not let his emotions get the best of him.  
  
"Now I know Nana always lets you skate around super fast but you have to remember you're not alone on the ice today."  
  
The little girl sighed dramatically, placing her hands on her hips. "Yes daddy."  
  
"And you can't just jump around. You need to listen to your teacher. The first step to learning how to do fancy moves is control."  
  
She tugged off her guards, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before stepping through the gates onto the ice.  
  
He had made sure she was completely bundled from head to toe, ready for her first lesson at the cold Montreal rink. If bubble wrap had been an acceptable outer layer, she would have been wrapped several times over, but as he watched his little one push herself off of the boards, he couldn't help but relax slightly.  
  
"First time on the ice?"  
  
He whipped around to meet the eyes of a young woman with beautiful silky brown hair. She had freckles that spattered across her face, accentuating the curve of her cheek bones and framing her bow shaped lips. For a moment, Scott couldn't find the words to reply to the gorgeous person in front of him.  
  
Everything felt like slow motion as he searched desperately for a good response, but his mind seemed to blank on simple sentence structure.  
  
She didn't seem to mind, placing her coat on the bleachers before taking a seat next to him. "It's always nerve wracking on the first lesson. Even at the second level I still find myself clutching the seat whenever he takes a spill."  
  
"Charlotte's been on the ice before." He finally stuttered out, internally cursing himself for sounding so unsure. "My mom owns a rink right outside of London. I've been taking her there since she was old enough to fit in skates."  
  
The woman chuckled, eyes scanning the sea of children in front of them. She pointed at a boy in a Leafs jersey who couldn't have been much older than his daughter.  
  
"Henry thinks he's going to be drafted any day now. I don't have the heart to tell him he needs to know how to actually hold a stick before he can play on a national team." Folding her hands on her lap she sighed.  
  
"I honestly think he'd do better in something like speed skating."  
  
As if to prove her point the little boy, Henry, shot across the designated practice zone, chasing after a few other older boys.  
  
"He certainly has the wheels to do it." Scott agreed. "I wish Charlotte took an interest in hockey since the girls’ league here is great but of course she'd rather be a figure skater like Joannie Rochette or something."  
  
The mystery woman laughed. "I saw her landing a waltz jump earlier. For her first lesson in that level she's certainly advanced."  
  
Scott couldn't help the pride that swelled in his chest. "Her and I make it a thing to go to the rink twice a week. Ever since we moved here though we haven't been going as much which is why I brought her here today."  
  
"Well, you picked a good rink to bring her to."  
  
The bell chimed signaling the end of the lesson. Kids poured off the ice, tripping over laces and blades as they searched for their parents. Scott could make out the small pink leotard that his daughter wore still in the middle of the arena, stroking delicately.  
  
At that moment, several boys zipped past her, deeply focused on the game of tag they had started earlier. The sudden movement startled her, and Scott watched in slow motion as she pitched backwards, arms wildly flailing in the air before hitting the ice.  
  
He watched worriedly as she stilled for a moment before getting to her feet, obviously annoyed.  
  
Once off the ice, she snatched her skate guards from the boards, barely uttering a word to him.  
  
The woman he'd met in the stands was very concerned. "Are you ok? I'm so sorry, as soon as Henry gets off the ice he is going to apologize to you."  
  
"Boys will be boys. Don't worry about it she's fine." Scott reassured her, grabbing his daughters skating bag.  
  
"That's not an excuse daddy. Everyone needs to watch where they are going!"  
  
"Charlotte's right. He needs to say sorry." She turned to the group of boys making their way towards them, yanking the youngest one towards them. "Henry Virtue you owe this young lady an apology."  
  
"I didn't do anything mom!" He squirmed against her side, refusing to make eye contact with the small girl. "She was in the way."  
  
"No I wasn't! You need to watch where you're going! And the teacher said no racing on the ice."  
  
"We weren't racing we were practicing."  
  
"Henry." The woman nudged him warningly.  
  
The little boy glanced at his mother’s disappointed face, sighing heavily as he stared at his fingers. "I'm sorry for running into you when I was practicing."  
  
"You don't practice by tagging each other!"  
  
"Charlotte that's enough." Scott smiled apologetically as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you Henry." He turned his attention back to the woman, wanting desperately to keep the conversation going. "So uh-- I guess we'll see you two next class."  
  
"Yes!" The woman replied enthusiastically, blushing as if she had noticed her mistake a second too late. "One week successfully completed.”  
  
Charlotte began to tug on his hand, pulling him toward the dressing room. “Guess that’s my cue. See you round."  
  
"Bye!"  
  
He was halfway to the door when he stopped, spinning around to shout after their retreating figures. "Wait! Um, I don't think I got your name before."  
  
She turned around; presenting him with the most dazzling smile he'd ever laid eyes on. "Tessa. Tessa Virtue." 

* * *

  
"How do you know she's not married?"  
  
"I didn't see a ring or anything. Claire, get those arms all the way up!"  
  
"She could've just not been wearing it. I mean she has a kid."  
  
Scott rolled his eyes, motioning for the two partners on ice to start again. "I have a kid Chiddy, and we both know I'm not married."  
  
Patrick winced. "Good point. I just don't want you to make a fool of yourself."  
  
"We just talked once. Her son happened to take out Charlotte and the rest was history."  
  
"He hurt my goddaughter?" The menacing undertone in his voice caused Scott to scoff. "What? Anyone who hurts Charlie deserves to be ostracized."  
  
He decided not to disagree, knowing very well how protective his best friend was. "She handled it like a champ."  
  
"That's because she knows that Uncle C would find that kid."  
  
Scott crossed his arms. "He was like 8 or 9 Patrick, he couldn't do any real damage."  
  
"I'm just saying. Speaking of C, where is my little waltz partner today?"  
  
He waved towards the front of the building "I'm pretty sure she's talking the receptionists’ ear off. My mother is supposed to be here any minute to bring her to the mall or something."  
  
The last few strains of the song wrapped up and Scott ended his conversation, hopping over the barrier to meet his team on the ice.  
  
"Alright you two that was better. The step sequence is certainly getting stronger and I'm really starting to feel the emotional message of the piece. You have to sharpen your edges Michael they look sloppy."  
  
"We've been practicing since 5 a.m. you can't seriously expect sharp edges."  
  
"I expect you to win gold at Nationals so yes, I expect you to clean the edges along with the attitude. From the top!"

* * *

  
"You seem very distracted today."  
  
Tessa looked up to find her boss had returned from yelling at her team who had just restarted their short program. "I asked you whether or not you thought Elliot might need to rework that lift because Harper's dress keeps getting in the way."  
  
"Sorry! I was just-- uh, working on music cuts!"  
  
Marie-France looked down at the clipboard in Tessa's hand, smirking when she saw the same sheet of steps as was there this morning. "Mmhm and how's that music coming along?"  
  
A deep red flush crept into Tessa's cheeks. "Have we fixed the step sequence?" She asked, quickly changing the subject.  
  
Obviously, her pseudo-mother was having none of it.  
  
"You've met someone." Her face lit up when she didn't receive an answer. "Did Patrice set you up with another one of his friends?"  
  
"No!" Tessa said quickly, recalling all the awkward set ups with the older men. "He was-- I met him at Henry's skate class."  
  
"Mon Cherie, he has a kid?" The older woman eyed her curiously. "You really don't want to get involved in anything like that."  
  
Tessa bit back a sigh. "I know. He's got the cutest little girl too. She's quite the skater for her age."  
  
Marie-France stayed quiet for a moment. "You know, we should probably start our tryouts for a juvenile dance team. Henry needs a partner."  
  
"I bet there are plenty of girls who'd love to be with him."  
  
"Yes but do they have fathers who make you starry eyed."  
  
"Marie-France!"  
  
"What?" She replied innocently. "Just ask him if his little one wants to try out. If she's that good then you have a new team and you can learn more about your new beau."  
  
Tessa kept her eyes on the rink, watching as her other team entered into their final element.  
  
"Alright I'll ask him. But don't tell Patrice!"

* * *

  
Ok, so maybe he'd arrived a little bit on the early side. But nothing bad ever came from being at the rink before lessons started, right? (especially if being early meant saving a seat for a _special_ someone.)  
  
"I'm hot!" Charlotte complained from besides him, unzipping her jacket for some relief. "Why are we here so early, lessons don't even start for another fifteen minutes."  
  
"Arriving early is a good lesson to learn Char. Nothing bad ever comes of it."  
  
"I'm boiling though!"  
  
"It won't be long. Before you know it you'll be out there skating."  
  
Except he was wrong. Every second ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace. Fifteen minutes could have very well been two hours at this point, and Scott felt just as restless as his daughter.  
  
What if she didn't show today?  
  
What if she didn't want to sit with him and chose a different seat?  
  
Since when did he become obsessed with a mom at his daughter's ice skating lessons?  
  
The ring of the bell signaling the start of lessons rescued him from his mini-freakout. He saw Charlotte already on the ice, practicing her spins. Of course she'd be the first one out there.  
  
"She's one of the most eager figure skaters I've ever seen."  
  
His turned quickly to see the woman of the hour placing her coat on the back of the chair next to him. "Tessa! Uh hey, nice to see you again."  
  
She smiled. "Didn't peg you as an early bird, mystery man."  
  
He chuckled. "For my job I have to be. And it's Scott by the way. Scott Moir."  
  
"Well Scott, I work at one of the local rinks as a coach and--,"  
  
"Wait you're a figure skating coach?"  
  
"I specialize in ice dance."  
  
Scott couldn't help but laugh. "What? Is something funny?"  
  
"No it's just that I coach ice dance as well."  
  
"Wow." She was silent for a moment, "where do you train?"  
  
"I've worked out of several different arenas but now I'm looking for a place to settle my new team."  
  
"You've come to just the right place. Montreal is a wonderful area for ice dancers."  
  
"We are living out of whatever place will give us ice time. My buddy Patrick is also traveling with us since he's been looking for fresh talent."  
  
"Well, I have a crazy idea. The other day I was talking to my boss and she agreed that it’s about time I started looking for a new team to work with and I was thinking of possibly pairing Henry with someone. He's just not cut out for hockey." Tessa stared at her son wistfully. "I think he'd do really well in ice dance, especially once he gets taller."  
  
Scott followed her gaze, unsure of what she was suggesting. "I guess. If he wants, I got a kid who I've been coaching since his age. He can talk to him about his experience."  
  
"Oh, he knows plenty of ice dancers thanks to his aunt and uncle at the rink. We see a lot of internationally ranked people train with us so he gets to hang out with them when mommy works." She shook her head. "Anyway, like I was saying-- I want Henry to start ice dance but he needs a partner."  
  
He stared at her, realization slowly creeping its way into his eyes. "Oh, you want Charlotte to try out with him?"  
  
Tessa nodded. "She has the skills and I think she'd excel as she got older."  
  
Scott seemed to hesitate for a minute. "I guess we can try it out."  
  
The bright smile he received in return was enough to make him want to do anything to see it again.  
  
"Great. Um, let me give you my number so I can text you the details."  
  
He handed her his phone, silently cheering for easily getting a hold of the digits. "I gotta warn you she's not your son's biggest fan."  
  
"I tried out with a guy years back and I wasn't his biggest fan either."  
  
They both laughed, falling into a comfortable silence for the remaining time. When the kids began to finish, she stood up. "I'll text you?"  
  
"I'll be on the lookout."  
  
"Bye Scott."

* * *

  
"But why daddy? I don't want to dance with another boy I like skating by myself." She complained from the backseat.  
  
"Pumpkin, daddy just wants to try this once."  
  
"But I don't want to!"  
  
"You love all of my teams. I recall you telling me you wanted to be just like Claire one day and she dances with Michael."  
  
"Yeah but that's different. Michael is a nice boy." Charlotte huffed as they pulled into the rink parking lot. "And most boys aren't nice."  
  
"I'm nice," Scott reminded gently as he unbuckled her from her seat. "Uncle Charlie and Uncle Danny are nice guys. Same with Grandpa and Uncle Chiddy."  
  
She seemed to contemplate this for a minute, taking his hand as the two made their way to the entrance. "I guess you're right, but I still don't want to skate with them."  
  
Once inside, he helped her into her skates before pulling her hair back into a bun. Before she entered the arena, he knelt down in front of her, urging her to meet his eyes. "Look Charlotte-- I know you don't want to do this, but do you want to know a secret?"  
  
He smiled at her curt nod, reaching forward to fix one of her loose Bobby pins. "When I was a little older than you, I also tried out for ice dance."  
  
"But I thought you only did singles?" She replied confused.  
  
"Well your nana wanted me to try out with a girl and in our first practice I ran the both of us into the boards."  
  
Charlotte giggled. "Thus ended my career as an ice dancer. So it can't go any worse than flinging a girl into the wall."  
  
"Ok daddy, I promise I'll give it a try."  
  
"That's my girl." Scott took her hand, keeping his eyes out for the woman and her son.  
  
Unfortunately, Charlotte spotted her tryout partner before he did, freezing in her tracks. "He's not going to tryout with me right?"  
  
Scott swallowed, noticing Tessa already on the ice, looking over a few papers. "Come on Pumpkin it's just one tryout I promise it's not going to be like class."  
  
"I won't dance with him! I won't do it!"  
  
Sensing his presence, Tessa looked up to meet his gaze, a smile splitting across her face. Luckily, she didn't seem to catch wind of the temper tantrum he was currently dealing with. "Scott, Charlotte! I'm so happy you guys could join us!"  
  
"I don't want to skate with him!" Charlotte repeated as they made their way to the mother and son duo. "You can't make me get out there."  
  
"Behave Char, we are guests here." He muttered under his breath, his demeanor perking up as they came to the rink door. "Tessa it's nice to see you." He offered her a wide smile before turning his attention to the boy besides her. "Henry you have new skates!"  
  
Having traded in his hockey skates for a sleek pair of figure skates, Henry could've easily been mistaken for a young singles competitor. Scott had to hand it to Tessa; the boy looked like he was more than ready to land a triple lutz without even breaking a sweat.  
  
"Mom said I had to wear them today."  
  
"That's because you and Charlotte here are going to do a little test for me and your dad."  
  
Confusion painted the children's faces.  
  
"A test?" All previous issues had been forgotten as his daughter placed her skate guards by the door. He knew she could never turn down a challenge.  
  
"Yes and hopefully that's just the beginning."

* * *

   
"But daddy his hand is all sweaty!" Charlotte moaned, wiping her tiny palm on her skirt.  
  
"All you have to do is a little stroking so me and Miss Tessa can see how well you guys work together." Scott reassured her from where he stood by the door.  
  
So far both children refused to even look at each other, choosing to instead stand at opposite sides of the rink.  
  
"But I don't want to touch him he's sweaty and gross."  
  
"At least I'm faster than you."  
  
"Says who?!"  
  
"Says me!"  
  
"Henry please stop. I need you to take Charlotte's hand."  
  
"But she has cooties!"  
  
Scott withheld a groan. "Five minutes! All I need you two to do is hold each other's hands for five minutes. If you guys can do that then I promise you never have to do it again."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Alright. Henry, remember the stroking I showed you? Just do that."  
  
With baited breaths, he and Tessa slipped off the ice, eyes never leaving the scene in front of them. Slowly, the two children grabbed one another's hand, pushing off the ice in an awkward motion.  
  
They had gone maybe two laps when Tessa finally spoke. "Virtue and Moir. I like the sound of that."  
  
Scott grinned. "We got ourselves a team."

**Author's Note:**

> This idea latched on to me long ago and I couldn't seem to shake it. What if's are far too fun with these two. Remember, AU is AU so this is all purely fictional fun. Thank you to my lovely beta for making sure I had a coherent story and to T/S for being the cuties they are.


End file.
